§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons currently accommodate life sentence prisoners; how many of these, apart from the main centres, are dispersal prisons, category B prisons, category C prisons and category D prisons, respectively; and if there are any plans to use further prisons for the accommodation of life sentence prisoners.
§ Mr. MellorExcluding local prisons and remand centres which initially accommodate life sentence prisoners, 42 prison service establishments in England and Wales at present accommodate life sentence prisoners. The 26 adult male establishments by security category are as follows:
- (a) five category B disperal establishments together with main centres;
- (b) nine category B establishments;
- (c) seven category C establishments; and
- (d) two category D establishments.
The six establishments holding females and the 10 establishments holding male young offenders are not categorised.
Recently two further category D establishments have been added to the available adult male acommodation and are expected to receive life sentence prisoners towards the end of the year; consideration is also being given to the use of another category D establishment. It is planned to accommodate young male lifers in one of the youth custody centres at present under construction when building is completed. There are no plans at present to use further establishments to accommodate female life sentence prisoners.